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Norris exits after taking foul tip to groin

Norris exits after taking foul tip to groin

6/19/13: Nelson Cruz hits a foul ball that bounces off the ground and gets Derek Norris in a sensitive area, forcing him to leave the game

By Christian Corona
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Special to MLB.com |

ARLINGTON -- Derek Norris is known as one of the toughest guys in the A's clubhouse. So when he left the game in the sixth inning after Adrian Beltre foul-tipped a ball into his groin, you knew it was bad.

"He's a tough guy, and to come out of that game means he was struggling," manager Bob Melvin said. "He got hit pretty good. A contusion of a particular area."

Norris had gone 0-for-2 with a strikeout before he was injured. On the eighth pitch of the Beltre at-bat, Dan Otero delivered a 90-mph fastball that was fouled straight back. Norris fell to his hands and knees and stayed there while being visited by the team trainer.

"Any time you get hit in the you-know-what, it's not the best feeling in the world," Norris said. "I've had my fair share of shots in that area behind the plate, but that was by far the worst pain I've ever had."

John Jaso replaced Norris behind the plate, and Beltre lined the next pitch into left field for an RBI double, giving the Rangers a commanding five-run lead that they rode to a 9-4 win.

Norris was still hurting after the game.

"Hopefully, it'll be better in the morning," he said. "Initially, when I got hit, I was still standing. I guess the pain just kind of sank in, and I just lost some feelings in my leg, so I went down and it just gradually got worse and worse for the next couple of minutes."

Christian Corona is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.